Efficient image synthesis

ABSTRACT

A method for synthesizing images includes selecting a background image from a plurality of source images and selecting one or more foreground elements from a plurality of source files. The foreground elements include at least one of a foreground image or a foreground text. The method further includes dividing at least a portion of the selected background image to one or more sub-regions for displaying the one or more selected foreground elements, each sub-region is used for displaying at least one foreground element. The method further includes determining a display format and a display location for each of the one or more foreground elements and synthesizing the one or more foreground elements to the corresponding one or more sub-regions of the background image based on the display format and the display location.

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/716,332, filed on Sep. 26, 2017, which is a continuation of PCTApplication No. PCT/CN2016/076950, filed on Mar. 22, 2016, which claimspriority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201510144685.1, filed on Mar.30, 2015, the entire contents of each are hereby incorporated byreference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to imaging processing, and more particularly toimage synthesis.

BACKGROUND

Internet-based webpages and social media platforms often include manyimages. In some situations, a large number of images may need to begenerated within a short period of time (for example, Internet-basedpromotional events or activities). Images may also need to be changedfrequently, because using the same or similar images can cause userattention fatigue.

Images used by webpages or Internet applications are often generated bysynthesizing one or more background images and one or more foregroundelements. In some cases, a fixed template can be used to superimposeforeground elements on a fixed background image at fixed positions. Whenmodification of an image is desired, a new template can be regenerated,or the background image, foreground elements, or their relativepositions can be changed. These operations can consume a large amount oftime and computing resources, especially with a large number of imagesto be synthesized.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure describes methods and systems, includingcomputer-implemented methods, computer program products, and computersystems for efficient image synthesis.

In an implementation, a background image from a plurality of sourceimages is selected. One or more foreground elements from a plurality ofsource files are selected, wherein the foreground elements include atleast one of a foreground image or a foreground text. At least a portionof the selected background image is divided to one or more sub-regionsfor displaying the one or more selected foreground elements, whereineach sub-region is used for displaying at least one foreground element.A display format and a display location for each of the one or moreforeground elements are determined, and the one or more foregroundelements are synthesized to the corresponding one or more sub-regions ofthe background image based on the display format and the displaylocation.

The previously described implementation is implementable using acomputer-implemented method; a non-transitory, computer-readable mediumstoring computer-readable instructions to perform thecomputer-implemented method; and a computer-implemented systemcomprising a computer memory interoperably coupled with a hardwareprocessor configured to perform the computer-implemented method/theinstructions stored on the non-transitory, computer-readable medium.

The subject matter described in this specification can be implemented inparticular implementations, so as to generate a large number ofsynthesized images with different compositions within a short period oftime, improve the efficiency of image synthesis, reduce the cost forimage diversification. Because the synthesized images can have a varietyof randomly generated or selected background images, foreground elementlayouts, shapes, and formats, they may also be more aestheticallypleasing to a user and more difficult to be detected by image detectiontechnologies such as computer vision. Other advantages will be apparentto those of ordinary skill in the art.

The details of one or more implementations of the subject matter of thisspecification are set forth in the Detailed Description, the Claims, andthe accompanying drawings. Other features, aspects, and advantages ofthe subject matter will become apparent from the Detailed Description,the Claims, and the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating an example process of generating asynthesized image, according to an implementation of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 2 shows an example sub-region layout with respect to a backgroundimage, according to an implementation of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 shows another example sub-region layout with respect to abackground image, according to an implementation of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example displayarrangement of a line of text in a sub-region of a background image,according to an implementation of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example display shape of aforeground image in a sub-region of a background image, according to animplementation of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example apparatus for generating asynthesized image, according to an implementation of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example computer system usedto provide computational functionalities associated with describedalgorithms, methods, functions, processes, flows, and procedures asdescribed in the instant disclosure, according to an implementation ofthe present disclosure.

Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicatelike elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description describes efficient image synthesis,and is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and usethe disclosed subject matter in the context of one or more particularimplementations. Various modifications, alterations, and permutations ofthe disclosed implementations can be made and will be readily apparentto those or ordinary skill in the art, and the general principlesdefined can be applied to other implementations and applications,without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In someinstances, details unnecessary to obtain an understanding of thedescribed subject matter can be omitted so as to not obscure one or moredescribed implementations with unnecessary detail and inasmuch as suchdetails are within the skill of one of ordinary skill in the art. Thepresent disclosure is not intended to be limited to the described orillustrated implementations, but to be accorded the widest scopeconsistent with the described principles and features.

Internet-based webpages and social media platforms often include manyimages. In some situations, a large number of images may need to begenerated within a short period of time (for example, Internet-basedpromotional events or activities). Images also need to be changedfrequently, because using the same or similar images can cause attentionfatigue of the users.

Images used by webpages or Internet applications are often generated bysynthesizing one or more background images and one or more foregroundelements. In some cases, a fixed template can be used to superimposeforeground elements on a fixed background image at fixed positions. Whenmodification of an image is desired, a new template can be regenerated,or the background image, foreground elements, or their relativepositions can be changed. These operations can consume a large amount oftime and computing resources, especially with a large number of imagesto be synthesized.

A synthesized image can be generated by using a background image, aforeground image, or a foreground text or a text line. The backgroundimage can be selected from source files stored on a server. In someimplementations, the source files can include a plurality of backgroundimages, foreground images, and foreground text. An example of aforeground image can be a logo, which can be flexibly placed ondifferent parts of, or at different locations on, the background image.The foreground text (for example, a line of text) can include one ormore textual units. The textual units can be in a textual format thatcan be converted into images (for example, using a system font libraryor a graphics library), or can be images that correspond to particulartext and are organized in a particular order.

When a Web or other server needs to generate a synthesized image (suchas following receipt of a request from a client computing device or animage is scheduled to be changed), a background image can be randomlyselected from the plurality of background images. In someimplementations, the selected background image can be used as thebackground image for a synthesized image after Gaussian blurringprocessing with randomly selected parameters. Different parameters canallow the same background image to exhibit different features and to beperceived as a different background image, which can reduce commonalityof images and maintain overall image aesthetics.

After determining the background image, a configuration algorithm can beused to calculate a layout of sub-regions on the background image. Insome implementations, the algorithm can calculate a dynamic range forpositioning the sub-regions with respect to the background image. Thealgorithm can perform the calculation based on, for example, a number ofsub-regions, allowable sub-region size(s), and positional relationshipsincluded in a configuration file. The algorithm can also determineallowable locations of sub-region vertexes or borders, and size of eachsub-region based on the calculated dynamic range and the configurationfile. As such, the sub-regions for displaying the foreground image orforeground texts can be considered to be dynamically determined. Thebackground image can determine the overall style of the synthesizedimage. The position and size of each sub-region can determine the layoutof the synthesized image.

The foreground elements can include foreground images, foreground text,or a combination of both. In some implementations, a curve function canbe selected from a plurality of available curve functions pre-stored inthe server to display text. Example curve functions can includetrigonometric functions or linear functions and can be pre-definedaccording to particular needs/customizations of the curve functions (forexample, a software code description of the curve function). Prior touse in the described methodology, an appropriate curve function andassociated parameters are chosen (for example, randomly or non-randomly)and generated for execution to create a desired curve. Parameter valuesfor the selected curve function depend on the type of curve functionselected. In some implementations, the parameter values can be pre- orrandomly-determined within certain value ranges to generate a displaycurve. One or more reference points can be selected from the displaycurve to align with textual units of the foreground text. As such, theforeground text can be considered to be displayed according to aspects(for example, the shape) of the display curve. In some cases, thetexture or shape of the foreground text can be processed beforesynthesis to the background image.

For foreground images, one or more curve functions can be randomlyselected from the plurality of available stored curve functions togenerate one or more display curves. The one or more display curves canbe used to determine a boundary or a shape for displaying the foregroundimage. Boundaries depend on the template and generated curves. The shapeis based on a randomly generated deformation function and the affinetransformation of the entire image is performed. Similar to thedescription with respect to the foreground text, the texture or shape ofthe foreground image can also be processed before synthesis to thebackground image. Accordingly, synthesized images can include a varietyof background images, layouts, foreground shapes, and formats.

By providing a plurality of background images to choose from, generatingand arranging sub-regions dynamically, and displaying foregroundelements with different shapes and formats, a large number ofsynthesized images with different compositions can be generated within ashort period of time. Therefore, image synthesis efficiency can beimproved and computational cost of image diversification can bedecreased. Because the synthesized images can have a variety ofbackground images, foreground element layouts, shapes, and formats, theycan also be more aesthetically pleasing to a user.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating an example method 100 for generatinga synthesized image, according to an implementation of the presentdisclosure. For clarity of presentation, the description that followsgenerally describes method 100 in the context of the other figures inthis description. However, it will be understood that method 100 can beperformed, for example, by any suitable system, environment, software,and hardware, or a combination of systems, environments, software, andhardware, as appropriate. In some cases, various steps of method 100 canbe run in parallel, in combination, in loops, or in any order.

At 110, method 100 can select a background image from a plurality ofbackground images. The set of background images can be pre-stored in thememory of any computing device that can perform method 100, such as aserver, a computer, a smartphone, or tablet. The selected backgroundimage can be directly used for image synthesizing, or it can beprocessed before image synthesizing.

A variety of methods can be used to select a background image from theset of background images for synthesizing images with differentcompositions. In some cases, each background image can be selected on arotational basis or randomly from the set of background images. In somecases, a new background image can be selected for synthesizing imageswhen a synthesized image has been used for a pre-determined amount oftime. In some cases, a new background image can be selected forsynthesizing images after a predetermined period of time.

Similarly, a variety of image processing methods can be used to processthe selected background image to a background image for imagesynthesizing. For example, image processing methods can include Gaussianblurring processing, light treatment processing, or mask processing. Insome cases, fixed processing algorithms or parameters can be used toperform image processing. In some other cases, algorithms or parametersused to perform image processing can be randomly or periodically changedbased on the curve functions used to generate the display curves. Forexample, if the curve function is a sine function, the curve can changeperiodically as a function of angle. As previously mentioned, thebackground image can also be treated as a background image and useddirectly for image synthesizing.

It is to be understood that any combination of the aforementionedbackground image selection and image processing methods can be used forimage synthesis according to the present disclosure. The method forselecting the background image and the method for generating thebackground image of the synthesized image can be used in anycombination, and is not limited to particularly-describedimplementations.

In some cases, foreground image elements can cover a small portion ofthe background image. Identifying a synthesized image based on itsbackground image can be easier when the uncovered area of the backgroundimage is larger. When the foreground image or text regions account forless area, if the background image is fixed, one or more aspects of thefixed background image can be relied on to provide identification.Dynamically selecting or changing the background image can make thesynthesized image more difficult to be detected by image recognitiontechnologies such as computer vision, which can be suitable for certainimplementation scenarios. A random change of a foreground image, textlocation, or shape, results in generation of a different imagebackground exposed in different regions. As a result, a computer visiondetection method becomes challenging. From 110, method 100 proceeds to120.

At 120, method 100 can divide at least a portion of the selectedbackground image into one or more sub-regions for displaying one or moreselected foreground elements, where each sub-region is used to displayat least one foreground element.

In some implementations, the division of sub-regions can be determinedbased on relationships between the foreground elements associated withdifferent sub-regions and requirements of the particular implementation.For example, some templates require one-line of words to be place aboveor below the other line. If the foreground elements can be superimposedon any positions of the background image, the number of sub-regions canbe based on the number of foreground elements, and the sizes andpositions of the sub-regions can be randomly determined. If there is norestriction on the template in mapping the location of foregroundpictures in relation to the background, then position and shape can becreated by generating foreground pictures or text, and pasting themsomewhere onto the background.

If the foreground elements need to be displayed based on certaincriteria (such as, positional relationships or proportional sizerelationships), then related foreground elements can be displayed in thesame sub-region, or certain limitations can be applied to sub-regionsthat display the related foreground elements.

In some implementation, a configuration file can indicate limitations onhow the sub-regions should be divided to satisfy the display conditionsof the foreground elements can be provided. For example, theconfiguration file can include the number of sub-regions and positionalrelationships of at least a portion of the sub-regions. In someimplementations, the configuration file can be used by a configurationalgorithm to calculate the layout of the sub-regions. After obtainingthe number and positional relationships of the sub-regions from theconfiguration file, the configuration algorithm can calculate a dynamicrange for each sub-region for positioning the sub-regions with respectto the background image, and determine allowable locations of vertexesor borders and size of each sub-region based on the calculated dynamicrange.

In some cases, the configuration file can further include informationindicating the shape of the sub-regions, and the maximum and minimumsize of the sub-regions. In such cases, the shape, size, and positionalrelationships of the sub-regions can be considered to determine theallowable dynamic ranges for the sub-regions. The sub-regions can haveany vertex or border locations, and sizes within their respectivedynamic ranges and in compliance to the conditions of the configurationfile.

Turning to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 shows an example sub-region layout 200 withrespect to a background image, according to an implementation of thepresent disclosure. In sub-region layout 200, the configuration file canindicate three sub-regions: 1) sub-region I 210; 2) sub-region II 220;and sub-region III 230, arranged from top-to-bottom of the backgroundimage 240. A configuration algorithm can be used to generate thesub-region layout 200 based on the configuration file. Turning to FIG.3, FIG. 3 shows another sub-region layout 300 (that is, 1) sub-region 1310; 2) sub-region 2 320; and sub-region 3 330) with respect to abackground image 340, according to an implementation of the presentdisclosure. Returning to FIG. 1, from 120, method 100 proceeds to 130.

Returning to FIG. 1, at 130, method 100 can determine a display formatand a display location for each of the one or more foreground elements.As previously described, the foreground element can be a foregroundimage or foreground text such as a line of text. The line of text caninclude one or more textual units. In some implementations, the textualunit can be a character (for example, a Chinese or English character), aword, a letter, a number, or a symbol.

In some implementations, different shapes can be used for displaying aforeground element in a sub-region. In some implementations, a pluralityof shapes, such as the original shape of the foreground element, acircle, a square, or a triangle can be predetermined to display theforeground element in the sub-region. The shape of some elements (suchas, a logo) are not allowed to deform/change. In some implementations,the shape can be selected randomly or on a rotational basis from theplurality of shapes for displaying the foreground element. When theforeground element is a line of text, each textual unit can be displayedin the selected shape or the textual units can be arranged to form theselected shape to be displayed. For example, each textual word producesa position and deformation separately, or a curve template produces ashape for each line. Each word is positioned on the associated curve inorder to perform a corresponding deformation.

In some implementations, one or more curve functions can be used togenerate one or more display curves for displaying the foregroundelement in the sub-region. The parameters used for the curve functioncan take values within a predetermined range. For example, if the curvefunction is a cosine function, the predetermined range of the angleparameter to generate the function can be from 0 to 2π. The parametersused can vary based on different curve functions. The parameter valueswithin the predetermined range can allow for at least a portion of theforeground element to be located/displayed in the sub-region based onthe display curve generated by the curve function (for example, a is aparameter for the cos(a) function).

In some implementations, the foreground element can be a line of text.To display the line of text based on a curve function, the curvefunction can first be selected from a plurality of predetermined curvefunctions. The values of parameters used for the curve function can beselected from the predetermined ranges of the parameters. The curvefunction can then generate a display curve based on the values selectedfor the parameters. Based on a number of textual units in the line oftext, a same number of points can be selected from the display curve asreference points to align the textual units.

Turning to FIG. 4, FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exampledisplay arrangement 400 of a line of text in a sub-region of abackground image, according to an implementation of the presentdisclosure. Display arrangement 400 illustrates that the line of text inthe sub-region 410 includes six textual units (420 a-420 f). To displaythe six textual units based on the display curve 430, the display curvecan first be equally divided into six segments according to a horizontalcoordinate of the six textural units. The starting point of each segmentcan be used as a reference point (440 a-440 f) to align each of thetextual units. In display arrangement 400, the top left corner of eachtextual unit is aligned to the reference points. As such, the line oftext is displayed in the sub-region 410 according to the display curve.

In some implementations, the foreground element can be an image. Similarto the previous display arrangement 400, reference points can beextracted from a display curve for positioning the foreground images. Insome implementations, one or more display curves can be used as displayboundaries of the foreground image. For example, a curve function can beselected to generate two parallel display curves by using differentparameter values. The two parallel display curves can serve asupper/lower boundaries (or left/right, diagonal, or otherspatially-oriented boundaries) for the foreground image. In someimplementations, two additional parallel lines can be added or generatedby a curve function to intersect with two other parallel display curvesto form a closed loop/area for displaying the foreground image. Asanother example, two curve functions can be used to generate twointersecting display curves that can be used as the left and topboundaries for displaying the foreground image. The right and bottomboundaries of the corresponding sub-region can be leveraged as the rightand bottom boundaries of the foreground image.

Referring to FIG. 5, FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating anexample display shape 500 of a foreground image, according to animplementation of the present disclosure. A curve function can be usedto generate a first display curve 510 (upper). The first display curvecan be copied and translated by a certain distance to form a seconddisplay curve 520 (lower) that is parallel to the first display curve.Or the curve function can use different parameter values to generate asecond display curve. Two points 530 a and 530 b at corresponding endsof two straight lines 540 a and 540 b (formed by translation of the twopoints 530 a and 530 b) can be selected on the first display curve toserve as two vertex points for displaying the foreground image. The twopoints can be translated onto the second display curve 520 to serve asanother two vertex points 550 a and 550 b of the foreground image. Theenclosure 560 (shaded region) formed by two display curves and the twostraight lines 540 a and 540 b can serve as the boundary for displayingthe foreground image. The shape of the foreground image to display onthe background image can be the shape of the enclosure 560.

In some implementations, foreground elements can include both aforeground image and a line of text. The line of text can be synthesizedon the foreground image after the foreground image is synthesized to thebackground image. Here, the display location and format of the line oftext can be determined based on the foreground image. In other words,the foreground image can be considered as a sub-region for determiningthe display location and format of the line of text. Returning to FIG.1, from 130, method 100 proceeds to 140.

At 140, method 100 can synthesize the one or more foreground elements tothe corresponding one or more sub-regions of the background image basedon the display format and the display location.

For foreground images, when the desired display shape or format of theimage is different from the original image, the original image can beprocessed to generate the foreground image and synthesized to thesub-region. Various processing techniques can be used to generate theforeground image based on the desired display shape and format of theforeground element in the corresponding sub-region. Example techniquescan include affine transformation, perspective transformation, scalingtransformation, color transformation, rotation, and stretching. In somecases, the processing techniques or the parameters of a certaintechnique can be selected at random to further diversify the appearancesof the foreground image. In some implementations, the candidate types ofdeformation are preset, and a deformation is selected randomly on theline. The parameters needed for the selected deformation are generatedat random in the allowable range. The foreground pictures of theoriginal pictures can be obtained by this type of deformation.

For foreground text, it is desirable, in some implementations, that textcannot be recognized using text recognition techniques such as opticalcharacter recognition (OCR). For example, certain websites orapplications can apply automatic OCR for text recognition and blockcontent based on certain determined criterion, such as particularkeywords or patterns. Processing the text into an unrecognizable formatcan prevent text or related images from being blocked. Exampleprocessing techniques can include adding texture or reshaping the linesof text. Example texture can include horizontal, vertical, or curvedstripes with different spacing. The lines of text and the added texturecan be displayed on the background image, or a particular color fusioncan be added to fade the foreground text with respect to the backgroundimage. Reshaping operations can include, for example, stretching,rotation, and resizing. Other techniques consistent with this disclosurecan also be used to process the foreground text to prevent recognitionwithout departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

As described in the various implementations of the present disclosure,by having a plurality of images for the background image to choose from,generating and arranging sub-regions dynamically, and displayingforeground elements with different shapes and formats, a large number ofsynthesized images with different compositions can be generated within ashort period of time. Therefore, the efficiency of image synthesizingcan be improved and the cost for image diversification can be decreased.Because the synthesized images can have a variety of background images,foreground element layouts, shapes, and formats, they can be moreaesthetically pleasing to a user.

The various implementations described in this disclosure can be used byany computing device, such as a server, a virtual machine, a personalcomputer, a tablet computer, a mobile phone, etc. In some cases, asystem suitable for one or more implementations of this disclosure canhave client/server (C/S) structure. In such cases, the example processesdisclosed in the various implementations of the disclosure can be partlyperformed by the server and partly performed by the client device tocollaboratively synthesize images.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example apparatus 600 forgenerating a synthesized image, according to an implementation of thepresent disclosure. At a high level, apparatus 600 includes a backgroundimage determination unit 610, a sub-region dividing unit 620, a displayshape determination unit 630, and a foreground element drawing unit 640.The background image determination unit 610 can determine a backgroundimage from a plurality of background images and convert the backgroundimage to a background image of the synthesized image.

The sub-region dividing unit 620 can determine sub-regions forforeground elements on the background image. Each sub-region can be usedfor displaying at least one foreground element. In some cases, thesub-region dividing unit can further include a positional relationshipacquisition module, a dynamic region calculation module, and asub-region position and size module. The positional relationshipacquisition module can acquire, based on a configuration file, thenumber of sub-regions and a positional relationship of at least twosub-regions. The dynamic region calculation module can calculate, basedon the positional relationship, a region where a dynamic range isallowed for placing a sub-region on the background image. The sub-regionposition and size module can determine, within the region defined by thevertex, positions and size of the sub-region.

The display shape determination unit 630 can determine, within asub-region, a display shape of a foreground element for the sub-region.In some cases, the foreground element can be a foreground image orforeground text. The display shape determination unit 630 can include afirst curve function selection module, a first display curve generationmodule, and a foreground image shape module. The first curve functionselection module can select at least one curve function from a pluralityof predetermined curve functions. The first display curve generationmodule can determine parameter values for the curve function withinpredetermined ranges and generate at least one display curve. Theforeground image shape module can select reference points from thedisplay curve as vertex points for displaying the foreground image, oruse the display curve as display boundary of the foreground image.

In some cases, the foreground element can be a foreground image. Theforeground element drawing unit 640 can perform affine transformation,perspective transformation or scaling transformation to the foregroundimage before synthesizing to the sub-region.

In some cases, the foreground element can be foreground text or a lineof text. The display shape determination unit 630 can include a secondcurve function selection module, a second display curve generationmodule and a text shape module. The second curve function selectionmodule can select a curve function from a plurality of predeterminedcurve functions. The second display curve generation module candetermine parameter values of the curve function within predeterminedranges and generate a display curve. The text shape module selects anumber of reference points from the display curve, according to thenumber of textual units in the line of text, and uses the referencepoints as vertex points for each text unit.

The foreground element drawing unit 640 can draw, according to thedisplay shape, the corresponding foreground text within the sub-region.In some cases, the foreground element drawing unit 640 can add textureor reshape the textual units of the line of text before drawing theforeground text to the sub-region. Returning to FIG. 1, after 140,method 100 stops.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computer system700 used to provide computational functionalities associated withdescribed algorithms, methods, functions, processes, flows, andprocedures, according to an implementation of the present disclosure.The illustrated computer 702 is intended to encompass any computingdevice such as a server, desktop computer, laptop/notebook computer,wireless data port, smart phone, personal data assistant (PDA), tabletcomputing device, one or more processors within these devices, anothercomputing device, or a combination of computing devices, includingphysical or virtual instances of the computing device, or a combinationof physical or virtual instances of the computing device. Additionally,the computer 702 can comprise a computer that includes an input device,such as a keypad, keyboard, touch screen, another input device, or acombination of input devices that can accept user information, and anoutput device that conveys information associated with the operation ofthe computer 702, including digital data, visual, audio, another type ofinformation, or a combination of types of information, on agraphical-type user interface (UI) (or GUI) or other UI.

The computer 702 can serve in a role in a computer system as a client,network component, a server, a database or another persistency, anotherrole, or a combination of roles for performing the subject matterdescribed in the present disclosure. The illustrated computer 702 iscommunicably coupled with a network 730. In some implementations, one ormore components of the computer 702 can be configured to operate withinan environment, including cloud-computing-based, local, global, anotherenvironment, or a combination of environments.

At a high level, the computer 702 is an electronic computing deviceoperable to receive, transmit, process, store, or manage data andinformation associated with the described subject matter. According tosome implementations, the computer 702 can also include or becommunicably coupled with a server, including an application server,e-mail server, web server, caching server, streaming data server,another server, or a combination of servers.

The computer 702 can receive requests over network 730 (for example,from a client software application executing on another computer 702)and respond to the received requests by processing the received requestsusing a software application or a combination of software applications.In addition, requests can also be sent to the computer 702 from internalusers (for example, from a command console or by another internal accessmethod), external or third-parties, or other entities, individuals,systems, or computers.

Each of the components of the computer 702 can communicate using asystem bus 703. In some implementations, any or all of the components ofthe computer 702, including hardware, software, or a combination ofhardware and software, can interface over the system bus 703 using anapplication programming interface (API) 712, a service layer 713, or acombination of the API 712 and service layer 713. The API 712 caninclude specifications for routines, data structures, and objectclasses. The API 712 can be either computer-language independent ordependent and refer to a complete interface, a single function, or evena set of APIs. The service layer 713 provides software services to thecomputer 702 or other components (whether illustrated or not) that arecommunicably coupled to the computer 702. The functionality of thecomputer 702 can be accessible for all service consumers using thisservice layer. Software services, such as those provided by the servicelayer 713, provide reusable, defined functionalities through a definedinterface. For example, the interface can be software written in JAVA,C++, another computing language, or a combination of computing languagesproviding data in extensible markup language (XML) format, anotherformat, or a combination of formats. While illustrated as an integratedcomponent of the computer 702, alternative implementations canillustrate the API 712 or the service layer 713 as stand-alonecomponents in relation to other components of the computer 702 or othercomponents (whether illustrated or not) that are communicably coupled tothe computer 702. Moreover, any or all parts of the API 712 or theservice layer 713 can be implemented as a child or a sub-module ofanother software module, enterprise application, or hardware modulewithout departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

The computer 702 includes an interface 704. Although illustrated as asingle interface 704 in FIG. 7, two or more interfaces 704 can be usedaccording to particular needs, desires, or particular implementations ofthe computer 702. The interface 704 is used by the computer 702 forcommunicating with another computing system (whether illustrated or not)that is communicatively linked to the network 730 in a distributedenvironment. Generally, the interface 704 is operable to communicatewith the network 730 and comprises logic encoded in software, hardware,or a combination of software and hardware. More specifically, theinterface 704 can comprise software supporting one or more communicationprotocols associated with communications such that the network 730 orinterface's hardware is operable to communicate physical signals withinand outside of the illustrated computer 702.

The computer 702 includes a processor 705. Although illustrated as asingle processor 705 in FIG. 7, two or more processors can be usedaccording to particular needs, desires, or particular implementations ofthe computer 702. Generally, the processor 705 executes instructions andmanipulates data to perform the operations of the computer 702 and anyalgorithms, methods, functions, processes, flows, and procedures asdescribed in the present disclosure.

The computer 702 also includes a database 706 that can hold data for thecomputer 702, another component communicatively linked to the network730 (whether illustrated or not), or a combination of the computer 702and another component. For example, database 706 can be an in-memory,conventional, or another type of database storing data consistent withthe present disclosure. In some implementations, database 706 can be acombination of two or more different database types (for example, ahybrid in-memory and conventional database) according to particularneeds, desires, or particular implementations of the computer 702 andthe described functionality. Although illustrated as a single database706 in FIG. 7, two or more databases of similar or differing types canbe used according to particular needs, desires, or particularimplementations of the computer 702 and the described functionality.While database 706 is illustrated as an integral component of thecomputer 702, in alternative implementations, database 706 can beexternal to the computer 702.

The computer 702 also includes a memory 707 that can hold data for thecomputer 702, another component or components communicatively linked tothe network 730 (whether illustrated or not), or a combination of thecomputer 702 and another component. Memory 707 can store any dataconsistent with the present disclosure. In some implementations, memory707 can be a combination of two or more different types of memory (forexample, a combination of semiconductor and magnetic storage) accordingto particular needs, desires, or particular implementations of thecomputer 702 and the described functionality. Although illustrated as asingle memory 707 in FIG. 7, two or more memories 707 or similar ordiffering types can be used according to particular needs, desires, orparticular implementations of the computer 702 and the describedfunctionality. While memory 707 is illustrated as an integral componentof the computer 702, in alternative implementations, memory 707 can beexternal to the computer 702.

The application 708 is an algorithmic software engine providingfunctionality according to particular needs, desires, or particularimplementations of the computer 702, particularly with respect tofunctionality described in the present disclosure. For example,application 708 can serve as one or more components, modules, orapplications. Further, although illustrated as a single application 708,the application 708 can be implemented as multiple applications 708 onthe computer 702. In addition, although illustrated as integral to thecomputer 702, in alternative implementations, the application 708 can beexternal to the computer 702.

The computer 702 can also include a power supply 714. The power supply714 can include a rechargeable or non-rechargeable battery that can beconfigured to be either user- or non-user-replaceable. In someimplementations, the power supply 714 can include power-conversion ormanagement circuits (including recharging, standby, or another powermanagement functionality). In some implementations, the power-supply 714can include a power plug to allow the computer 702 to be plugged into awall socket or another power source to, for example, power the computer702 or recharge a rechargeable battery.

There can be any number of computers 702 associated with, or externalto, a computer system containing computer 702, each computer 702communicating over network 730. Further, the term “client,” “user,” orother appropriate terminology can be used interchangeably, asappropriate, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.Moreover, the present disclosure contemplates that many users can useone computer 702, or that one user can use multiple computers 702.

Described implementations of the subject matter can include one or morefeatures, alone or in combination.

For example, in a first implementation, a computer-implemented methodfor image synthesis, comprises, selecting a background image from aplurality of source images; selecting one or more foreground elementsfrom a plurality of source files, wherein the foreground elementsinclude at least one of a foreground image or a foreground text;dividing at least a portion of the selected background image to one ormore sub-regions for displaying the one or more selected foregroundelements, wherein each sub-region is used for displaying at least oneforeground element; determining a display format and a display locationfor each of the one or more foreground elements; and synthesizing theone or more foreground elements to the corresponding one or moresub-regions of the background image based on the display format and thedisplay location.

The foregoing and other described implementations can each, optionally,include one or more of the following features:

A first feature, combinable with any of the following features, furthercomprises processing the selected background image based on at least oneof Gaussian blurring processing, light treatment processing, or maskprocessing.

A second feature, combinable with any of the previous or followingfeatures, further comprises, acquiring, from a configuration file, anumber of sub-regions and a positional relationship of at least two ofthe sub-regions; calculating, based on the number of sub-regions and thepositional relationship, a maximum region for each sub-region that thesub-region can cover; and determining, within each maximum region, theboundary of the corresponding sub-region.

A third feature, combinable with any of the previous or followingfeatures, wherein the one or more foreground elements include at leastone foreground image, and the method further comprises: selecting atleast one curve function from a plurality of predetermined curvefunctions; determining one or more parameters of the at least one curvefunction, and a value for each of the one or more parameters within apredetermined range; generating at least one display curve based on thevalue for each of the one or more parameters; and selecting referencepoints from the at least one display curve to align the foreground imageor using the at least one display curve as at least one boundary of theforeground image.

A fourth feature, combinable with any of the previous or followingfeatures, wherein the one or more foreground elements include at leastone foreground image, and the method further comprises performing atleast one of an affine transformation, a perspective transformation, ora scaling transformation to the foreground image based on the displayformat.

A fifth feature, combinable with any of the previous or followingfeatures, wherein the one or more foreground elements include at leastone foreground text and the foreground text includes one or more textualunits, the method further comprises: selecting at least one curvefunction from a plurality of predetermined curve functions; determiningone or more parameters of the at least one curve function, and a valuefor each of the one or more parameters within a predetermined range;generating at least one display curve based on the value for each of theone or more parameters; selecting a number of reference points based onthe number of the textual units; and aligning the textual units with thereference points.

A sixth feature, combinable with any of the previous or followingfeatures, wherein the foreground text displays on the foreground image,and wherein determining the display format and the display location ofthe foreground element further comprises determining the display formatand the display location of the foreground text to be displayed on theforeground image.

A seventh feature, combinable with any of the previous or followingfeatures, further comprises adding texture or reshaping the one or moreforeground elements before synthesizing to the background image.

In a second implementation, a non-transitory, computer-readable mediumstoring one or more instructions executable by a computer system toperform operations, comprises, selecting a background image from aplurality of source images; selecting one or more foreground elementsfrom a plurality of source files, wherein the foreground elementsinclude at least one of a foreground image or a foreground text;dividing at least a portion of the selected background image to one ormore sub-regions for displaying the one or more selected foregroundelements, wherein each sub-region is used for displaying at least oneforeground element; determining a display format and a display locationfor each of the one or more foreground elements; and synthesizing theone or more foreground elements to the corresponding one or moresub-regions of the background image based on the display format and thedisplay location.

The foregoing and other described implementations can each, optionally,include one or more of the following features:

A first feature, combinable with any of the following features, furthercomprises processing the selected background image based on at least oneof Gaussian blurring processing, light treatment processing, or maskprocessing.

A second feature, combinable with any of the previous or followingfeatures, further comprises, acquiring, from a configuration file, anumber of sub-regions and a positional relationship of at least two ofthe sub-regions; calculating, based on the number of sub-regions and thepositional relationship, a maximum region for each sub-region that thesub-region can cover; and determining, within each maximum region, theboundary of the corresponding sub-region.

A third feature, combinable with any of the previous or followingfeatures, wherein the one or more foreground elements include at leastone foreground image, and the method further comprises: selecting atleast one curve function from a plurality of predetermined curvefunctions; determining one or more parameters of the at least one curvefunction, and a value for each of the one or more parameters within apredetermined range; generating at least one display curve based on thevalue for each of the one or more parameters; and selecting referencepoints from the at least one display curve to align the foreground imageor using the at least one display curve as at least one boundary of theforeground image.

A fourth feature, combinable with any of the previous or followingfeatures, wherein the one or more foreground elements include at leastone foreground image, and the method further comprises performing atleast one of an affine transformation, a perspective transformation, ora scaling transformation to the foreground image based on the displayformat.

A fifth feature, combinable with any of the previous or followingfeatures, wherein the one or more foreground elements include at leastone foreground text and the foreground text includes one or more textualunits, the method further comprises: selecting at least one curvefunction from a plurality of predetermined curve functions; determiningone or more parameters of the at least one curve function, and a valuefor each of the one or more parameters within a predetermined range;generating at least one display curve based on the value for each of theone or more parameters; selecting a number of reference points based onthe number of the textual units; and aligning the textual units with thereference points.

A sixth feature, combinable with any of the previous or followingfeatures, wherein the foreground text displays on the foreground image,and wherein determining the display format and the display location ofthe foreground element further comprises determining the display formatand the display location of the foreground text to be displayed on theforeground image.

A seventh feature, combinable with any of the previous or followingfeatures, further comprises adding texture or reshaping the one or moreforeground elements before synthesizing to the background image.

In a third implementation, A computer-implemented system, comprises, oneor more computers; and one or more computer memory devices interoperablycoupled with the one or more computers and having tangible,non-transitory, machine-readable media storing instructions that, whenexecuted by the one or more computers, perform operations, comprises,selecting a background image from a plurality of source images;selecting one or more foreground elements from a plurality of sourcefiles, wherein the foreground elements include at least one of aforeground image or a foreground text; dividing at least a portion ofthe selected background image to one or more sub-regions for displayingthe one or more selected foreground elements, wherein each sub-region isused for displaying at least one foreground element; determining adisplay format and a display location for each of the one or moreforeground elements; and synthesizing the one or more foregroundelements to the corresponding one or more sub-regions of the backgroundimage based on the display format and the display location.

The foregoing and other described implementations can each, optionally,include one or more of the following features:

A first feature, combinable with any of the following features, furthercomprises processing the selected background image based on at least oneof Gaussian blurring processing, light treatment processing, or maskprocessing.

A second feature, combinable with any of the previous or followingfeatures, further comprises, acquiring, from a configuration file, anumber of sub-regions and a positional relationship of at least two ofthe sub-regions; calculating, based on the number of sub-regions and thepositional relationship, a maximum region for each sub-region that thesub-region can cover; and determining, within each maximum region, theboundary of the corresponding sub-region.

A third feature, combinable with any of the previous or followingfeatures, wherein the one or more foreground elements include at leastone foreground image, and the method further comprises: selecting atleast one curve function from a plurality of predetermined curvefunctions; determining one or more parameters of the at least one curvefunction, and a value for each of the one or more parameters within apredetermined range; generating at least one display curve based on thevalue for each of the one or more parameters; and selecting referencepoints from the at least one display curve to align the foreground imageor using the at least one display curve as at least one boundary of theforeground image.

A fourth feature, combinable with any of the previous or followingfeatures, wherein the one or more foreground elements include at leastone foreground image, and the method further comprises performing atleast one of an affine transformation, a perspective transformation, ora scaling transformation to the foreground image based on the displayformat.

A fifth feature, combinable with any of the previous or followingfeatures, wherein the one or more foreground elements include at leastone foreground text and the foreground text includes one or more textualunits, the method further comprises: selecting at least one curvefunction from a plurality of predetermined curve functions; determiningone or more parameters of the at least one curve function, and a valuefor each of the one or more parameters within a predetermined range;generating at least one display curve based on the value for each of theone or more parameters; selecting a number of reference points based onthe number of the textual units; and aligning the textual units with thereference points.

A sixth feature, combinable with any of the previous or followingfeatures, wherein the foreground text displays on the foreground image,and wherein determining the display format and the display location ofthe foreground element further comprises determining the display formatand the display location of the foreground text to be displayed on theforeground image.

A seventh feature, combinable with any of the previous or followingfeatures, further comprises adding texture or reshaping the one or moreforeground elements before synthesizing to the background image.

Implementations of the subject matter and the functional operationsdescribed in this specification can be implemented in digital electroniccircuitry, in tangibly embodied computer software or firmware, incomputer hardware, including the structures disclosed in thisspecification and their structural equivalents, or in combinations ofone or more of them. Software implementations of the described subjectmatter can be implemented as one or more computer programs, that is, oneor more modules of computer program instructions encoded on a tangible,non-transitory, computer-readable computer-storage medium for executionby, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus.Alternatively, or additionally, the program instructions can be encodedin/on an artificially generated propagated signal, for example, amachine-generated electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal that isgenerated to encode information for transmission to a receiver apparatusfor execution by a data processing apparatus. The computer-storagemedium can be a machine-readable storage device, a machine-readablestorage substrate, a random or serial access memory device, or acombination of computer-storage mediums. Configuring one or morecomputers means that the one or more computers have installed hardware,firmware, or software (or combinations of hardware, firmware, andsoftware) so that when the software is executed by the one or morecomputers, particular computing operations are performed.

The term “real-time,” “real time,” “realtime,” “real (fast) time (RFT),”“near(ly) real-time (NRT),” “quasi real-time,” or similar terms (asunderstood by one of ordinary skill in the art), means that an actionand a response are temporally proximate such that an individualperceives the action and the response occurring substantiallysimultaneously. For example, the time difference for a response todisplay (or for an initiation of a display) of data following theindividual's action to access the data can be less than 1 millisecond(ms), less than 1 second (s), or less than 5 s. While the requested dataneed not be displayed (or initiated for display) instantaneously, it isdisplayed (or initiated for display) without any intentional delay,taking into account processing limitations of a described computingsystem and time required to, for example, gather, accurately measure,analyze, process, store, or transmit the data.

The terms “data processing apparatus,” “computer,” or “electroniccomputer device” (or equivalent as understood by one of ordinary skillin the art) refer to data processing hardware and encompass all kinds ofapparatus, devices, and machines for processing data, including by wayof example, a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple processorsor computers. The apparatus can also be, or further include specialpurpose logic circuitry, for example, a central processing unit (CPU),an FPGA (field programmable gate array), or an ASIC(application-specific integrated circuit). In some implementations, thedata processing apparatus or special purpose logic circuitry (or acombination of the data processing apparatus or special purpose logiccircuitry) can be hardware- or software-based (or a combination of bothhardware- and software-based). The apparatus can optionally include codethat creates an execution environment for computer programs, forexample, code that constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, adatabase management system, an operating system, or a combination ofexecution environments. The present disclosure contemplates the use ofdata processing apparatuses with an operating system of some type, forexample LINUX, UNIX, WINDOWS, MAC OS, ANDROID, IOS, another operatingsystem, or a combination of operating systems.

A computer program, which can also be referred to or described as aprogram, software, a software application, a unit, a module, a softwaremodule, a script, code, or other component can be written in any form ofprogramming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, ordeclarative or procedural languages, and it can be deployed in any form,including, for example, as a stand-alone program, module, component, orsubroutine, for use in a computing environment. A computer program can,but need not, correspond to a file in a file system. A program can bestored in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data, forexample, one or more scripts stored in a markup language document, in asingle file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiplecoordinated files, for example, files that store one or more modules,sub-programs, or portions of code. A computer program can be deployed tobe executed on one computer or on multiple computers that are located atone site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by acommunication network.

While portions of the programs illustrated in the various figures can beillustrated as individual components, such as units or modules, thatimplement described features and functionality using various objects,methods, or other processes, the programs can instead include a numberof sub-units, sub-modules, third-party services, components, libraries,and other components, as appropriate. Conversely, the features andfunctionality of various components can be combined into singlecomponents, as appropriate. Thresholds used to make computationaldeterminations can be statically, dynamically, or both statically anddynamically determined.

Described methods, processes, or logic flows represent one or moreexamples of functionality consistent with the present disclosure and arenot intended to limit the disclosure to the described or illustratedimplementations, but to be accorded the widest scope consistent withdescribed principles and features. The described methods, processes, orlogic flows can be performed by one or more programmable computersexecuting one or more computer programs to perform functions byoperating on input data and generating output data. The methods,processes, or logic flows can also be performed by, and apparatus canalso be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, for example, aCPU, an FPGA, or an ASIC.

Computers for the execution of a computer program can be based ongeneral or special purpose microprocessors, both, or another type ofCPU. Generally, a CPU will receive instructions and data from and writeto a memory. The essential elements of a computer are a CPU, forperforming or executing instructions, and one or more memory devices forstoring instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also include,or be operatively coupled to, receive data from or transfer data to, orboth, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, for example,magnetic, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks. However, a computerneed not have such devices. Moreover, a computer can be embedded inanother device, for example, a mobile telephone, a personal digitalassistant (PDA), a mobile audio or video player, a game console, aglobal positioning system (GPS) receiver, or a portable memory storagedevice.

Non-transitory computer-readable media for storing computer programinstructions and data can include all forms of permanent/non-permanentor volatile/non-volatile memory, media and memory devices, including byway of example semiconductor memory devices, for example, random accessmemory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), phase change memory (PRAM), staticrandom access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM),erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasableprogrammable read-only memory (EEPROM), and flash memory devices;magnetic devices, for example, tape, cartridges, cassettes,internal/removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and optical memorydevices, for example, digital video disc (DVD), CD-ROM, DVD+/−R,DVD-RAM, DVD-ROM, HD-DVD, and BLURAY, and other optical memorytechnologies. The memory can store various objects or data, includingcaches, classes, frameworks, applications, modules, backup data, jobs,web pages, web page templates, data structures, database tables,repositories storing dynamic information, or other appropriateinformation including any parameters, variables, algorithms,instructions, rules, constraints, or references. Additionally, thememory can include other appropriate data, such as logs, policies,security or access data, or reporting files. The processor and thememory can be supplemented by, or incorporated in, special purpose logiccircuitry.

To provide for interaction with a user, implementations of the subjectmatter described in this specification can be implemented on a computerhaving a display device, for example, a CRT (cathode ray tube), LCD(liquid crystal display), LED (Light Emitting Diode), or plasma monitor,for displaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointingdevice, for example, a mouse, trackball, or trackpad by which the usercan provide input to the computer. Input can also be provided to thecomputer using a touchscreen, such as a tablet computer surface withpressure sensitivity, a multi-touch screen using capacitive or electricsensing, or another type of touchscreen. Other types of devices can beused to interact with the user. For example, feedback provided to theuser can be any form of sensory feedback (such as, visual, auditory,tactile, or a combination of feedback types). Input from the user can bereceived in any form, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input. Inaddition, a computer can interact with the user by sending documents toand receiving documents from a client computing device that is used bythe user (for example, by sending web pages to a web browser on a user'smobile computing device in response to requests received from the webbrowser).

The term “graphical user interface,” or “GUI,” can be used in thesingular or the plural to describe one or more graphical user interfacesand each of the displays of a particular graphical user interface.Therefore, a GUI can represent any graphical user interface, includingbut not limited to, a web browser, a touch screen, or a command lineinterface (CLI) that processes information and efficiently presents theinformation results to the user. In general, a GUI can include aplurality of user interface (UI) elements, some or all associated with aweb browser, such as interactive fields, pull-down lists, and buttons.These and other UI elements can be related to or represent the functionsof the web browser.

Implementations of the subject matter described in this specificationcan be implemented in a computing system that includes a back-endcomponent, for example, as a data server, or that includes a middlewarecomponent, for example, an application server, or that includes afront-end component, for example, a client computer having a graphicaluser interface or a Web browser through which a user can interact withan implementation of the subject matter described in this specification,or any combination of one or more such back-end, middleware, orfront-end components. The components of the system can be interconnectedby any form or medium of wireline or wireless digital data communication(or a combination of data communication), for example, a communicationnetwork. Examples of communication networks include a local area network(LAN), a radio access network (RAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN),a wide area network (WAN), Worldwide Interoperability for MicrowaveAccess (WIMAX), a wireless local area network (WLAN) using, for example,802.11a/b/g/n or 802.20 (or a combination of 802.11x and 802.20 or otherprotocols consistent with the present disclosure), all or a portion ofthe Internet, another communication network, or a combination ofcommunication networks. The communication network can communicate with,for example, Internet Protocol (IP) packets, Frame Relay frames,Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) cells, voice, video, data, or otherinformation between network addresses.

The computing system can include clients and servers. A client andserver are generally remote from each other and typically interactthrough a communication network. The relationship of client and serverarises by virtue of computer programs running on the respectivecomputers and having a client-server relationship to each other.

While this specification contains many specific implementation details,these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of anyinvention or on the scope of what can be claimed, but rather asdescriptions of features that can be specific to particularimplementations of particular inventions. Certain features that aredescribed in this specification in the context of separateimplementations can also be implemented, in combination, in a singleimplementation. Conversely, various features that are described in thecontext of a single implementation can also be implemented in multipleimplementations, separately, or in any sub-combination. Moreover,although previously described features can be described as acting incertain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or morefeatures from a claimed combination can, in some cases, be excised fromthe combination, and the claimed combination can be directed to asub-combination or variation of a sub-combination.

Particular implementations of the subject matter have been described.Other implementations, alterations, and permutations of the describedimplementations are within the scope of the following claims as will beapparent to those skilled in the art. While operations are depicted inthe drawings or claims in a particular order, this should not beunderstood as requiring that such operations be performed in theparticular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustratedoperations be performed (some operations can be considered optional), toachieve desirable results. In certain circumstances, multitasking orparallel processing (or a combination of multitasking and parallelprocessing) can be advantageous and performed as deemed appropriate.

Moreover, the separation or integration of various system modules andcomponents in the previously described implementations should not beunderstood as requiring such separation or integration in allimplementations, and it should be understood that the described programcomponents and systems can generally be integrated together in a singlesoftware product or packaged into multiple software products.

Accordingly, the previously described example implementations do notdefine or constrain the present disclosure. Other changes,substitutions, and alterations are also possible without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Furthermore, any claimed implementation is considered to be applicableto at least a computer-implemented method; a non-transitory,computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions toperform the computer-implemented method; and a computer systemcomprising a computer memory interoperably coupled with a hardwareprocessor configured to perform the computer-implemented method or theinstructions stored on the non-transitory, computer-readable medium.

1-20. (canceled)
 21. A computer-implemented method for providingmultiple distinct, synthesized images that each include a samebackground image and a same foreground element, the method comprising:selecting a background image and a foreground element that are both tobe used to generate each of multiple, distinct synthesized images;selecting a sub-region of the background image in which the foregroundelement is to be synthesized in each of the multiple, distinctsynthesized images; for each of the multiple, distinct synthesizedimages that are to be generated: selecting a parameter that is unique tothe synthesized image that is to be generated, selecting, from amongmultiple pre-determined curve functions that are each associated withdisplaying foreground elements in synthesized images, a particular curvefunction based at least on the parameter that is unique to thesynthesized image that is to be generated, processing the foregroundelement according to the particular curve function, and generating adistinct, synthesized image that comprises the foreground element thatis positioned within the selected sub-region of the background image andthat is processed according to the particular curve function; andproviding one or more of the multiple, distinct synthesized images inresponse to a request for a synthesized image.
 22. The method of claim21, wherein the foreground element comprises text, and whereinprocessing the foreground element according to the particular curvefunction comprises aligning characters of the text along a curve. 23.The method of claim 21, wherein the foreground element comprises aforeground image, and wherein processing the foreground elementaccording to the particular curve function comprises aligningsub-regions of the foreground image along a curve.
 24. The method ofclaim 21, wherein the sub-region of the background image is selectedbased on configuration information associated with the foregroundelement.
 25. The method of claim 21, wherein processing the foregroundelement according to the particular curve function comprising aligningeach half of the foreground element along a different curve.
 26. Themethod of claim 21, wherein processing the foreground element comprisesprocessing the text to be unrecognizable by an automated opticalcharacter recognition (OCR) process.
 27. The method of claim 21, whereinprocessing the foreground element comprises determining a display shapeassociated with the foreground element.
 28. A non-transitorycomputer-readable medium storing one or more instructions executable bya computer system to perform operations for providing multiple distinct,synthesized images that each include a same background image and a sameforeground element, the operations comprising: selecting a backgroundimage and a foreground element that are both to be used to generate eachof multiple, distinct synthesized images; selecting a sub-region of thebackground image in which the foreground element is to be synthesized ineach of the multiple, distinct synthesized images; for each of themultiple, distinct synthesized images that are to be generated:selecting a parameter that is unique to the synthesized image that is tobe generated, selecting, from among multiple pre-determined curvefunctions that are each associated with displaying foreground elementsin synthesized images, a particular curve function based at least on theparameter that is unique to the synthesized image that is to begenerated, processing the foreground element according to the particularcurve function, and generating a distinct, synthesized image thatcomprises the foreground element that is positioned within the selectedsub-region of the background image and that is processed according tothe particular curve function; and providing one or more of themultiple, distinct synthesized images in response to a request for asynthesized image.
 29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium ofclaim 28, wherein the foreground element comprises text, and whereinprocessing the foreground element according to the particular curvefunction comprises aligning characters of the text along a curve. 30.The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein theforeground element comprises a foreground image, and wherein processingthe foreground element according to the particular curve functioncomprises aligning sub-regions of the foreground image along a curve.31. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein thesub-region of the background image is selected based on configurationinformation associated with the foreground element.
 32. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein processingthe foreground element according to the particular curve functioncomprising aligning each half of the foreground element along adifferent curve.
 33. The non-transitory computer-readable medium ofclaim 28, wherein processing the foreground element comprises processingthe text to be unrecognizable by an automated optical characterrecognition (OCR) process.
 34. The non-transitory computer-readablemedium of claim 28, wherein processing the foreground element comprisesdetermining a display shape associated with the foreground element. 35.A system comprising: one or more computers; and one or more computermemory devices interoperably coupled with the one or more computers andhaving tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable media storinginstructions, that when executed by the one or more computers, performoperations for providing multiple distinct, synthesized images that eachinclude a same background image and a same foreground element, theoperations comprising: selecting a background image and a foregroundelement that are both to be used to generate each of multiple, distinctsynthesized images; selecting a sub-region of the background image inwhich the foreground element is to be synthesized in each of themultiple, distinct synthesized images; for each of the multiple,distinct synthesized images that are to be generated: selecting aparameter that is unique to the synthesized image that is to begenerated, selecting, from among multiple pre-determined curve functionsthat are each associated with displaying foreground elements insynthesized images, a particular curve function based at least on theparameter that is unique to the synthesized image that is to begenerated, processing the foreground element according to the particularcurve function, and generating a distinct, synthesized image thatcomprises the foreground element that is positioned within the selectedsub-region of the background image and that is processed according tothe particular curve function; and providing one or more of themultiple, distinct synthesized images in response to a request for asynthesized image.
 36. The system of claim 35, wherein the foregroundelement comprises text, and wherein processing the foreground elementaccording to the particular curve function comprises aligning charactersof the text along a curve.
 37. The system of claim 35, wherein theforeground element comprises a foreground image, and wherein processingthe foreground element according to the particular curve functioncomprises aligning sub-regions of the foreground image along a curve.38. The system of claim 35, wherein the sub-region of the backgroundimage is selected based on configuration information associated with theforeground element.
 39. The system of claim 35, wherein processing theforeground element according to the particular curve function comprisingaligning each half of the foreground element along a different curve.40. The system of claim 35, wherein processing the foreground elementcomprises processing the text to be unrecognizable by an automatedoptical character recognition (OCR) process.